Modular Isometric and Speed Training Device

ABSTRACT

A modular exercise device that provides isometric and speed training in a plurality of embodiments by providing a single sensing core that can be encased in multiple housings. A force measurement smart core is an electronic piece although a pressure indicator or physical force gauge could be used also. A feedback interface providing visual/auditory tactile interaction could be visual using an LCD or LEDS, audible, or tactile (vibration feedback) Means to setup the device include buttons or dials to set the goal force or change the exercise program. A memory allows the device to be programmed to walk the user through a routine or to allow the user to see previous workouts. A connection means to connect to a computer, the network or other electronic device using standard known architecture would be utilized. This could be wireless, wired or through memory cards.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an exercise device. Morespecifically, the present invention relates to a modular exercise devicethat provides isometric and speed training in a plurality of embodimentsby providing a single sensing core that can be encased in multiplehousings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Isometric exercise is a type of strength training where thepractitioner's joint angle and muscle length do not change during themuscle contraction. Isometric exercises are performed in a staticposition with no movement involved. A classic example of an isometricexercise is to hold your hands together with the palms touching andpress them together as hard as you can for ten seconds. The joint andmuscle are worked against themselves with no movement. Isometricexercising has a long history and elements appear in yoga and martialarts.

Isometrics has a number of benefits: it is a very safe form ofexercising, as it is difficult to inadvertently overload your muscles.Isometrics are frequently used for physical therapy treatment, and itincreases maximum strength beyond that achievable while using straightstrength training Isometrics strength training helps build fast twitchmuscle fiber, the key component for speed, which is important in manysports. Traditional strength training does not. No heavy equipment orweights are required.

Given the known benefits of isometrics it is very noticeable thatIsometric exercising is little practiced compared to other forms ofstrength training and physical exercises. One of the main reasons forthis is that there is little or no feedback when doing isometricexercises. It is impossible to know from one exercise to the nextwhether you are using a similar effort level. During a prolongedexercise regime over a couple of weeks or months there is no way totrack improvement except through other forms of exercise. Thereforeaverage exercisers have not adopted isometrics even though the benefitsof isometrics have been documented in numerous studies.

The other major advantage of isometrics is they have been shown toincrease the ratio of fast twitch muscle to slow twitch muscle fiber ofa practitioner. Speed is one of the most difficult things to train for;therefore being able to use isometrics is an important aspect of anyserious speed training

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A modular exercise device that provides isometric and speed training ina plurality of embodiments by providing a single sensing core that canbe encased in multiple housings. The device is modular and consists of asmart core that can be used with a number of physical extensions thatexpand and build on the device and allow it to be used in a huge varietyof ways to exercise different muscles for different sports. The majorcomponents of the system are: a smart core which is comprised of amemory, force and time measurement core, power means, visual/auditorytactile interaction component, and a housing or frame.

A force measurement smart core is an electronic piece although apressure indicator or physical force gauge could be used also. Afeedback interface providing visual/auditory tactile interaction couldbe visual using an LCD or OLED or any other type of visual display orLEDS, audible, or tactile (vibration feedback). In an alternativeembodiment, tactic feedback is measured in a similar fashion to that ofa torque wrench. When using a torque wrench, a user is not watching thewrench; they are watching the workpiece. When the user reaches theproper torque, there is an audible click and a slight motion of thehandle to let them know they are there. The present invention, in someembodiments may use a combination of audio and slight motion to providevisual/auditory tactile interaction and feedback.

The present invention also teaches means to setup the device, whichinclude buttons or dials to set the goal force or change the exerciseprogram. Memory allows the device to be programmed to walk the userthrough a routine or to allow the user to see previous workouts. Aconnection means to connect to a computer, the network or otherelectronic device using standard known architecture would be utilized.This could be wireless, wired or through memory cards.

One interesting use for the device of the present invention is thatbecause there is little or no muscle movement it is possible to be doingother things while exercising. Imagine a force gauge that attached to asteering wheel, allowing you to flex your muscle and receive feedbackwhile stuck in traffic. Or more likely one could use this device whilewatching television.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a partof the specification, illustrate the present invention and, togetherwith the description, further serve to explain the principles of theinvention and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to makeand use the invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates the architecture of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates the smart core with accessory interfaces taught bythe present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates the smart core in an alternative configuration taughtby the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative configuration taught by the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 illustrates the device in use in one upper body workoutembodiment;

FIG. 6 shows how force is plotted against time for the user for threedifferent measurements;

FIGS. 7 and 8 show how the force is plotted against time for the userduring an exercise routine;

FIG. 9 illustrates the architecture where the basic device of thepresent invention is reconfigured to simply be the force and timemeasurement core and an interface to an existing computer, or smartphone;

FIGS. 10-12 illustrate an alternative embodiment providing a device thatconsists of two separate sensors that would both measure the force thatis being applied to them;

FIG. 13 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present inventioncomprising a stepper motor in addition to the force measurement device'shandles that provides means for allowing very slow movement during theexercise; and

FIGS. 14-16 illustrate the device in use in one lower body workoutembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following detailed description of the invention of exemplaryembodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanyingdrawings (where like numbers represent like elements), which form a parthereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific exemplaryembodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodimentsare described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art topractice the invention, but other embodiments may be utilized andlogical, mechanical, electrical, and other changes may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. The followingdetailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense,and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appendedclaims.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth toprovide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it isunderstood that the invention may be practiced without these specificdetails. In other instances, well-known structures and techniques knownto one of ordinary skill in the art have not been shown in detail inorder not to obscure the invention.

Referring to the figures, it is possible to see the various majorelements constituting the apparatus of the present invention. Thepresent invention is a modular isometric and speed-training device. Thecore of the device 100 is where the majority of the cost exists; oncethat has been purchased the device can be reconfigured with manydifferent inexpensive physical extensions 202, 203, 204, 205, 206. Theextensions 202, 203, 204, 205, 206 allow the user to easily alter thedevice to exercise specific muscle groups or add sport specificextensions 202, 203, 204, 205, 206 that target strength routines thatbenefit the desired attributes for that sport. No device of this smalland portable size can measure muscle speed and reaction timesimultaneously and track progress towards a goal. This device is one ofthe only exercise devices that can help train speed one of the mainattributes of an athletes training regime. The device is modular andconsists of a smart core 100 that can be used with a number of physicalextensions 202, 203, 204, 205, 206 that expand and build on the deviceand allow it to be used in a huge variety of ways to exercise differentmuscles for different sports. In the figures, the physical extensions202, 203, 204, 205, 206 shown are all for use with upper body exercisesalthough it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art toreplace or include lower body attachments 1400 as shown in FIGS. 14-16for lower body core training as taught by many other exercise machinesin the prior art as lower body and core training is a big component ofspeed in sports. The major components of the system are: a smart core100 which is comprised of a memory 101, connection means 102, force andtime measurement core 103, power means 104, visual/auditory tactileinteraction component 105, and a housing or frame 106. A forcemeasurement smart core 103 is an electronic piece although a pressureindicator or physical force gauge could be used also. A feedbackinterface providing visual/auditory tactile interaction 105 could bevisual using an LCD or LEDS, audible, or tactile (vibration feedback)Means to setup the device include buttons or dials to set the goal forceor change the exercise program. A memory 102 allows the device to beprogrammed to walk the user through a routine or to allow the user tosee previous workouts. A connection means 102 to connect to a computer,the network or other electronic device using standard known architecturewould be utilized. This could be wireless, wired or through memorycards.

Different shapes and devices to allow a variety of exercises to beperformed through connection to a central housing or frame 106 aretaught by the present invention. Now referring to FIG. 2, severalembodiments of the present invention are shown. The central house 106contains the smart core 100. The smart core 100 can then be attached toany number of physical extensions 202, 203, 204, 205, 206 that expandand build on the device and allow it to be used in a huge variety ofways to exercise different muscles for different sports. For example,fixed handgrips 206, scissor handgrips 202, T-handle grips 203, cordpulls 204, a medicine ball 207 or moveable handle bars 205 can beattached as alternative housings to the smart core 100 to create severalexercise embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention where thesmart core 100 is secured in a housing affixed with two receiving arms301 and 302 for attachably receiving numerous grips. The grips can comein many shapes such as the short handle, 303, balled handle 304, andextended handle 305 shown. A user can simply attach the desired handleor grip to the receiving arms 301 and 302 as desired.

Now referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, another embodiment of the presentinvention where the smart core 100 is secured in a housing 400 affixedwith two handles 401 and 402 as shown. In practice, a user 500 wouldgrip each handle 401 and 402 and attempt to spread the handles 401 and402 apart or push them together in an upper body isometric exercise ofthis embodiment.

FIG. 14 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention wherethe smart core 100 is secured to two handles 1401 and 1402 as shown. Inpractice, a user 1403 would place each handle 1401 and 1402 againsttheir inner thigh and attempt to squeeze the handles 1401 and 1402together in a lower body isometric exercise of this embodiment.

Speed is a key component of many athletic endeavors, however it isdifficult to specifically train or measure speed. The three main areasfor athletic training are speed, strength, and endurance. Most sportsincorporate two to three of these areas, however the majority oftraining and training equipment is biased towards Strength andEndurance. Isometric training has been shown to positively impact speedin addition to strength, even though no movement occurs during. Tomeasure speed the device measures the force applied over time. In onescenario the user is required to get into position and apply and hold aninitial lower force. The device would then indicate by visual, audio ortactile means to rapidly increase the force as quickly as possible. Nomovement happens, the user is simply increasing the force they apply tothe device. The graph of FIG. 6 shows how the force is plotted againsttime for the user for three different measurements. FIGS. 7 and 8 showhow the force is plotted against time for the user during an exerciseroutine. In FIG. 7, the user is increasing the force and attempting tohold the constant target force for a given period of time. In FIG. 8 theuser is increasing the force and attempting to hold the constant targetforce for a given period of time and then apply a smaller force in alower target zone during a relaxing period in the exercise. Othervariations have the muscle reaction be relaxing to a lower force theopposite of a tense.

The basic device could be completely reconfigured to simply be the forceand time measurement core 900 and an interface to an existing computer901, or smart phone 902 as shown in FIG. 9. Phones 902 that have greatcomputing power, large displays, touch screen or smart button interfacesand a continuous network connection are becoming ubiquitous. Twoexamples are the IPHONE and the GOOGLE ANDROID phone. These devices havea well-developed SDK (software development kit) an application store andan always-on Internet connection 903 that would allow the exercise datato be stored on servers and accessed by the user anywhere. This wouldallow the user to track their progress and activity with no effort otherthan plugging the phone 902 into the device 900 and performing theirexercise routine. The software would automatically connect andsynchronize any data or exercise program. This would also allow thedevice to be programmed either on a computer or via the Internet. Theconnection to a computer and Internet or other communications networkwould allow someone to compete against themselves or other users asdesired.

In an alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 10-12, rather than have asingle connected device there may be some interesting uses for a devicethat consists of two separate sensors 901 and 902 that would bothmeasure the force that is being applied to them. In FIGS. 10-12, a usercan use the two sensing halves 901 and 902 to press together (FIG. 10),pull apart (FIG. 11), or apply pressuring in opposing directions (FIG.12) in an isometric exercise routine.

One of the main issues preventing success with any exercise programs isthat it is hard to stay motivated. Introducing some competition is agreat way to motivate people to try harder or to continue doingsomething. The issue with competition and strength contests is that itis extremely hard to find someone who is local and willing to work withyou and who has a similar schedule and then it is even harder to findsomeone who is at a similar strength level to you. This device solvesthis issue.

With networked exercise equipment it is easy to find someone who isinterested in exercising at the same time as you are given the muchlarger pool of potential exercise partners. This is very similar toonline game playing. Games start throughout the day and people join aserver, which places them in a queue where they generally wait only afew seconds before being joined to a game. The users history of exercisewill show what their peak performance and abilities are and the softwarewill be able to scale the forces generated so that the users can competebased on their effort compared to their historical performance and notbased on actual force measured. This allows the weakest user to competeagainst the strongest. The time for each user can be altered also. Forexample, if one of the users can only hold their maximum force fortwelve seconds and the other competitor can hold it for thirty secondsthe two would still be able to compete to see who was able to hold itcloser to their personal record. Additionally the users could compete onspeed to see how fast they can apply a force. With a stored history of ausers performance, the user would also be able to compete againstthemselves and see how their performance on a routine differs on a dailybasis or to compete in an open competition where the absolutemeasurements are compared.

The device can be handheld, but it also could be used by the feet orknees or other parts of the body to exercise different muscle groups. Itis also imagined that the device could have accessories that mount it tochairs, tables, doorways etc. to facilitate a multitude of differentexercises.

The typical way to train for sports is to play the sport itself. Thisimproves coordination, muscle memory and instinct on the playing field.But to excel, the athlete utilizes specialty training to augment. Thefootball player who only plays football would be at a disadvantage to asimilarly talented player who also works strength training into hisroutine. That is because strength training produces muscle forces beyondthose that the player would see just playing the game. The body adaptsto this training load because it is above a habitual level. This is thetheory of super compensation; after a stress period (workout) and arestorative period (rest), the preparedness level (fitness) is higherthan it was originally. The weight-training player will become strongerthan the non-weight training player. This specialty training typicallytakes one of two directions: strength or endurance. This is typical and,for some sports, all that is needed. In fact, for the fitness orientedperson (as opposed to athletic oriented person), strength and enduranceis all that is needed/desired.

However, in order to be more competitive in many sports, the otherdimension that is needed is speed. In some sports it is the dominantdimension. There are few if any devices for speed training and evenfewer that can measure progress created by the training. The inventionpresented here can be used to both train for speed and to measureprogress. It is generally accepted that muscle fiber types can be brokendown into two main types: slow twitch (Type I) muscle fibers and fasttwitch (Type II) muscle fibers. These distinctions seem to influence howmuscles respond to training and physical activity, and each fiber typeis unique in its ability to contract in a certain way. The majority ofpeople have approximately the same distribution of muscle fibers.Studies have shown that sedentary people have about 50 percent slowtwitch and 50 percent fast twitch fibers in most of the muscles used formovement. The activity and training that has been undertaken will changemuscle type distribution. E.g a distance runner may have only 25% fasttwitch muscle fiber, while a sprinter may have >80% fast twitch musclefiber.

Slow Twitch (Type I).

The slow muscles are more efficient at using oxygen to generate morefuel (known as ATP) for continuous, extended muscle contractions over along time. They fire more slowly than fast twitch fibers and can go fora long time before they fatigue. Therefore, slow twitch fibers are greatat helping athletes run marathons and bicycle for hours.

Fast Twitch (Type II).

Because fast twitch fibers use anaerobic metabolism to create fuel, theyare much better at generating short bursts of strength or speed thanslow muscles. However, they fatigue more quickly. Fast twitch fibersgenerally produce the same amount of force per contraction as slowmuscles, but they get their name because they are able to fire morerapidly. Having more fast twitch fibers can be an asset to a sprintersince she needs to quickly generate a lot of force. It is obvious howyou create the overload conditions for strength and endurance that willproduce super compensation? However in most cases for speed training,you can't just do the motion faster in order to get the overload.

If you are a baseball player you can't just swing your bat three timesfaster in training Currently there is no device on the market that canshow conclusively over a training period of days/weeks that the athletehas directly increased the speed of the muscle group that they aretraining. Training effectiveness is measured through ancillaryobservations of sport performance, which is extremely difficult tocorrelate with training. The device is used for isometric exercising.Isometric exercise is a type of training where the joint angle andmuscle length do not change during the exercise muscle contraction. Asshown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the device consists of a core measurement unitthat can measure the force being applied by the user and also theforce/time.

In the preferred embodiment the device would be provide direct feedbackto the user to indicate both force applied but also the time taken toreach a predefined force. There have been a number of studies that haveshown that isometrics/resistance training is one of the most effectivemethods of increasing the percentage of fast twitch muscle and thereforeof increasing the speed of the practitioner. The core of the devicewould have some means of measuring force, torque, pressure etc. that canbe correlated to the external force applied by the user. There would bea user interface component that would provide feedback to the user (e.g.When to commence applying force, what level of force they are applying).

To measure speed the device measures the force applied over time. In onescenario the user is required to get into position and apply and hold aninitial lower force as shown in FIG. 7. The device would then indicateby visual, audio or tactile means to rapidly increase the force asquickly as possible. No movement happens, the user is simply increasingthe force they apply to the device. The graph of FIG. 6 shows how theforce is plotted against time for the user for three differentmeasurements.

There are two components that affect speed. The first is a neuralresponse—the body's reaction time. The second is the force time curvethat your muscles can produce—your explosiveness. Combined, these twocomponents represent the speed of the athletic movement. The device ofthe present invention is specifically intended to improve the secondcomponent, the force time curve of the muscle or muscle group. However,this device has the added benefit of being able to measure the neuralreaction time as a separate component of the overall speed, which can beadvantageous from a training standpoint.

The explosiveness is correlated to the percentage of fast twitch musclefibers that exist in the muscle group being measured. The slope of theForce/Time curve as illustrated in FIG. 6, shows the speed(explosiveness) of the exerciser. This shows how the device coulddirectly show the speed of the muscle response.

One of the complaints held against isometric exercise is that themuscles do not move and therefore the muscle is only exercised in oneposition. In yet another alternative embodiment illustrated in FIG. 13,by adding a stepper motor 1303 or some form of controlled clutch inaddition to the force measurement the device's handles 1301 and 1302would very slowly move during the exercise. This gives the benefit ofisometric exercising while also increasing the range over which themuscles are exercised. The stepper motor 1303 or clutch would move orallow the handles 1301 and 1302 to move while the user maintained thedesired force on the device 1300. Alternatively the motor could simplyallow the device to walk the user through an exercise routine by movingthe handles to different positions for a variety of different exercises.

Furthermore, other areas of art may benefit from this method andadjustments to the design are anticipated. Thus, the scope of theinvention should be determined by the appended claims and their legalequivalents, rather than by the examples given.

1. Modular isometric device comprising: a smart core consisting of: ahousing or frame; a force and time measurement component, a feedbackinterface providing at least one of visual, auditory, or tactileinteraction, and a housing.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein the smartcore is further comprised of wireless connection means to connect thedevice to a wireless network.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein the smartcore is further comprised of an electronic memory allowing the device tobe programmed to walk the user through a routine or to allow the user tosee previous workouts.
 4. The device of claim 1 further comprising oneor more physical extensions removeably attached to the housing.
 5. Thedevice of claim 1 wherein, the force and time measurement component iselectronic.
 6. The device of claim 1 wherein, the force and timemeasurement component is a pressure indicator or physical force gauge.7. The device of claim 4 wherein, the physical extensions include upperbody and core extensions.
 8. The device of claim 7 wherein, the physicalextensions for upper body and core extensions include: fixed handgrips,scissor handgrips, T-handle grips, cord pulls, a medicine ball, ormoveable handle bars attached to the smart core as alternative housings.9. The device of claim 4 wherein, the physical extensions include lowerbody and core extensions.
 10. The device of claim 3 wherein, a memorycard is provided to transfer information from the device to a computer.11. The device of claim 1 wherein, the housing is further comprised oftwo receiving arms for attachably receiving numerous grips.
 12. Thedevice of claim 11 wherein, the grips include a short handle, balledhandle, and an extended handle
 13. The device of claim 2 wherein, thewireless connection means connect the device to a wireless computernetwork.
 14. The device of claim 2 wherein, the wireless connectionmeans connects the device to a mobile wireless device; said mobilewireless device provides a continuous network connection; said mobilewireless device provides a memory for storing exercise data locally onthe smart phone or remotely to server or other computer; said mobilewireless device provides a user access to said exercise data; saidmobile wireless device provides software that would automaticallyconnect and synchronize any data or exercise program.
 15. The device ofclaim 14 wherein the mobile wireless device is a smart phone.
 16. Thedevice of claim 1 comprising two smart cores whereby the two smart coresare press together, pulled apart, or apply pressuring in opposingdirections during an isometric exercise routine.
 17. The device of claim2 wherein, the memory includes a users history of exercise will showwhat their peak performance and abilities are and is able to scale theforces generated so that the users can compete based on their effortcompared to their historical performance and not based on actual forcemeasured.
 18. The device of claim 17 wherein, users compete on speed tosee how fast they can apply a force.
 19. The device of claim 1 wherein,said device is provided with accessories that mount it to stationaryobjects.
 20. The device of claim 1 wherein, the device consists of acore measurement unit that can measure the force being applied by theuser and also the force/time; and said device provides direct feedbackto the user to indicate force applied, the time taken to reach apredefined force, and the neural reaction time.
 21. The device of claim1 further comprising means of measuring force, torque, and pressure thatare correlated to the external force applied by the user.
 22. The deviceof claim 11 further comprising a controlled motion attachment attachedto the two receiving arms for attachably receiving numerous gripsproviding very slow movement during the exercise of the receiving armsand attached grips while the user maintained the desired force on thegrips.
 23. The device of claim 22 wherein the controlled motionattachment is either a stepper motor or a governor.
 24. The device ofclaim 22 wherein the controlled motion apparatus allows the device towalk a user through an exercise routine by moving the handles todifferent positions for a variety of different exercises.